Windbreak



M. BENTLEY Y Nov. 27, 1951 WIND-BREAK Fled July 23, 1948 EZ/lo /3 INVENTOR. MAK BENTLEY ATi-'URN Y I6 C A Patented Nov. 27, 195i e.; 4....

2,576,384 WINDBREAK Markentley, San" Francisco, Calif.

Application July 23, 1948,;` `Serial No. 40,362

1 Claim. V (Cl. 16o- 181) This invention relates to an improved windbreak and has reference to a portable structure particularly adapted to be used as a shelter on beaches for the purpose of breaking the wind, and to thereby provide comfort rand protection for bathers and other parties seeking recreation at beaches, camping places and the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wind-break in the form of' a shield made of aplurality of sections hingedly secured one to the" other and to provide'a plurality of specially constructed stakes hing'edly secured toVy the lower portions of the said sections and adapted to 100k therewith, whereby the sections forming the device are capable of being rigidly retained in the soil.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a plurality of hooks and eyes on the device for enabling a plurality of similiar windbreaks to be detachably joined one to the other for increasing the length of the device.

A further object of the present invention is to construct each section in the form of a suitable frame and to groove the inner edges of the frame and to preferably provide plastic screen or suitable sheets of transparent plastic within said grooves.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved portable wind-break of the character described that is durable, adjustable, simple in construction, positive in operation, economical to manufacture and highly eflicient and serviceable in use.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, wherein for the purpose of illustration like numerals designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a vertical elevational View of the device showing the sections in their opened positions forming the wind-break and illustrating the general principle of the invention,

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the device looking at the view shown in Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrow 2.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view showing the sections in their folded closed positions, one end section folding inwardly and the other section folding outwardly,

Fig. 5 is a vertical side elevational view of one of the hinge-like locking stakes employed in the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing and the numerals thereof, the letter characters A, B and C designate as a whole the central section and the two end sections, respectively. Each section forms'a frame comprising atop and bottom portion, 8 and 9, respectively, and two side portions The inner surfaces of the said top, bottom and side portions are grooved as at I3 foraccommodating sheets preferably formed of transparent plastic or plastic screen, and designated by the numeral I4, which sheets are positioned within said grooves and substantially retained in their respective frames forming windows as disclosed to advantage in Figs. 1 and 3. The numeral I5 designates suitable hinges for hingedly securing the frame section B to the central section A and likewise hinges I6 positioned on the opposite side of the sections hingedly secure the frame section C to the section A. It will be noted that due to the said hinges being positoned on opposite sides of the central section A, the end section B will swing in an opposite direction from the end section C, thus enabling the device to be folded as disclosed to advantage in Fig. 4. A plurality of hooks I8 is provided in the outer side portion of the section C, and likewise, a plurality of eyes I9 are secured in the outer side portion of the section B for receiving similar hooks in a similar wind-break, whereby two or any desired number of wind-breaks as illustrated in Fig. 1, can be detachably secured one to the other for providing a wind-break of greater length.

The means provided for rigidly securing the device in the sand or other soil is shown as comprising a plurality of specially constructed stakes designated as a whole by the characters D and E, which stakes are positioned on opposite sides of the wind-break and lock thereto in opposite directions, thus rigidly supporting the same. Each stake is composed of a lower angular portion 20 and an upper portion 2| hinged one to the other as at 22, the hinge connection being of conventional construction employed in standard hinges. Suitable screws 23 secure the upper portion 2| to the lower portion 9 of the frame sections B and C. The lower portion 20 forming the stake is preferably pointed as at 24 to facilitate the pressing of the same into the soil. A locking lip 25 is xed to the lower portion 20 of the stake, as disclosed in Fig. 5, which lip extends underneath and against the bottom 9 of the Wind-break frame, as illustrated in Fig. 2, preventing the same from swinging in a direction toward the opposite side from which the stake is secured. Thus the frame is rigidly supported in one direction. It is obvious that when a stake is xed to both sides of the frame as disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, the said frame will be rigidly supported in both directions. When the-:deviceis not-.in use 4tl'iesaid-'stalzescan be compactly folded against the particular sections to which they are secured.

From the foregoing description taken in con junction with the accompanying drawing it will be obvious that the present invention provides "a compact portable device which can-readilyfbe-set up on beaches, camping places and the like and will protect the users against winzvanfd tliistand is also transparent to afford the greaterfcomfort.

It is to be understoodithat the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to -be taken as a preferred vexample .of lthe same and that various changes relative 'to the shape, size, material `and arrangement of parts -maybe -resorted to Without departing vfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claim.

Havingthus described my invention, I claim:

`A wind breaking -ldevice of the character-described, -comprising a series .of Ivertically `:posi-- tioned frames, a :groove Aextending in `and around the `inner-surface ofieach frame, asheetof .trans-Y parent .plastic positioned in lthe Lsaid groove iin each frame providing a Window in each frame, a plurality of hinges securing the frames one to the other, a plurality of foldable stakes of hingedform secured to the lower portion of the frames, a plurality of hooks xed in the outer vertical surface of a frame forming one end of the device, and a plurality of eyes fixed in the outer vertical surface of the frame forming the opposite end of thefdevi'ce, whereby a, lwind lbreaking frame of similar "co'nstr-uction is capable of :flbeing connected thereto.

MARK BENTLEY.

REFERENCES CITED Ehefollowing references are of record in the lle Yof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 88,412 Richard Mar. 30, 1869 141,750 l'Becher Aug. -l12, 1873 178;659 Murray June'isfra 1;0'9812 1H 'Boileau Maly' 26, T9124 A1,315,628 r(rleli, 8611513."9, '1919 1363187 Miner Dec."21, 1920 '1,645,355' "Shts "O(5t.`11,`19`27 1,753,795 Ln. 'Api'.`8, `19?'0 Number Country Ul a`te *481,454 y'Great Britain iMar. "1'1, 1938 

